Top positive review

4.0 out of 5 starsIf you enjoy hallmark films you will enjoy this movie

September 15, 2017

Cute movie, a little different. If you enjoy hallmark films you will enjoy this movie. You cant compare this one to the Original series that is just wonderful. They stick to the book events, emphasis on different things to make this different but it is the story of Anne. Some people were concerned that the movie had a dark turn because it had flashbacks of Anne's life before the Cuthburts. All I can say to this is that is what her life was like and those events are what made Anne who she was. Life sometimes isn't just roses, there are some thorns mixed in. Children should definetly be guarded and protected but this is such a minor thing compared to whats being played on TV all day long. I probably wouldn't let any child under 10 watch it just because a man yelling or breaking dishes in a 5 second scene could scare them. All parents should pre-watch films anyway so they can make that decision.

Top critical review

1.0 out of 5 starsOne star for the actors who tried really hard against this awful script and nonsensical changes

December 9, 2016

I'll admit it - I'm a huge fan of the Anne series of books. I fell in love with this book when I was 9 and was, initially, disappointed with the Kevin Sullivan rendering of 1985 because adaptations are rarely as good as that which unfolds through the unfettered lens of our own imaginations. Eventually, I came to appreciate the TV miniseries and have a soft spot in my heart for the translation from page to screen which Sullivan et al accomplished. So, it was with mixed feelings that I viewed the remake. First, let's say what is good - the little girl who plays Anne is adorable. She's charming and ebullient. If her portrayal is off-key, I lay that blame on the writers, not her performances. She's not a perfect actress by any means, but she is, indeed, a joy to watch. The scenery is gorgeous and the cinematographer did full justice to the beauty of PEI.

The rest of this review contains spoilers.

Now, for the bad. The characterizations are off and by off, I mean way off. Even at the beginning, Marilla is soft, maternal in her treatment of Anne. When Anne explodes in response to Rachel Lynde's forthright critique of her appearence, Marilla chides,she scolds, but you never get the feeling that she is genuinely outraged and mortified to her very marrow by this outrageous loss of self control. The whole point of the story is that as much as Anne needs a home, Matthew and Marilla need someone like Anne in their lives. In the books, Marilla gradually softens, unbends and shows Anne that she cares in her own gruff manner. In this adaptation, Marilla is already almost empathetic. Marilla was never meant to be purposefully unkind, but she wasn't as soft as fuzzy as the portrayal here. Second glaring misstep - Matthew. Why, for heavens sake, the scene with the pig? I understand the writers wish to infuse humor, but the book is full of gentle humor. Matthew is laconic, taciturn. He feels deeply, he says little. Richard Farnsworth was able to convey both of these key attributes on screen, demonstrating that it can be done. It was due to his character (taciturn, terrified of girls and women) that he *didn't* ask Anne immediately why she was there instead of a boy. It is equally difficult to understand why the new version of Matthew would *not* immediately ask this. And, since they changed Matthew so dramatically, they changed the circumstances of how Matthew obtained the dress with puffed sleeves, a scene which was one of the comic gems of the book. ("Twenty pounds of brown sugar, indeed!")

This portrayal of Anne herself - in the initial scenes after she finds out that she isn't to stay at Green Gables, she is heartbroken, yet sensible enough to know she shouldn't fall in love with her new surroundings since it's clear that Marilla does not intend to keep her. Yet, n this adaptation, Anne continues to explore Green Gables and its environs, even though she understands she's t be sent back. These actions are so inconsistent with the character that it's truly torture to watch. Anne had gumption - she was sensible, she was a worker. I can't imagine the real Anne shying away from eggs. Nothing in the books indicated that she would behave thus or that she would fob off her milk pail carrying duties on Matthew so that she could go look at scenery.That's a ridiculous liberty. She was dreamy and imaginative, but she was also a hard worker and very smart. So none of this behavior makes sense except to add in "comic relief" and just came off as unconvincingly modern.

Just incredibly disappointing that writers still don't understand that people love a source material because it's actually really good and maybe they should try to make as few changes as possible to the integral personality traits of the characters.

As a last note (and this is rather an unfair comparison), I really miss Hagood Hardy's instrumental genius. The soundtrack to this newest adaptation was passable, but not outstanding. Hardy's sound track for the original miniseries was so evocative and lush, the bland music which accompanied this version doesn't have the same ability to connect the viewer with the story, augmenting the drama on screen like an auditory emotional cues, enhancing the experience subtly, yet indelibly.

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I'll admit it - I'm a huge fan of the Anne series of books. I fell in love with this book when I was 9 and was, initially, disappointed with the Kevin Sullivan rendering of 1985 because adaptations are rarely as good as that which unfolds through the unfettered lens of our own imaginations. Eventually, I came to appreciate the TV miniseries and have a soft spot in my heart for the translation from page to screen which Sullivan et al accomplished. So, it was with mixed feelings that I viewed the remake. First, let's say what is good - the little girl who plays Anne is adorable. She's charming and ebullient. If her portrayal is off-key, I lay that blame on the writers, not her performances. She's not a perfect actress by any means, but she is, indeed, a joy to watch. The scenery is gorgeous and the cinematographer did full justice to the beauty of PEI.

The rest of this review contains spoilers.

Now, for the bad. The characterizations are off and by off, I mean way off. Even at the beginning, Marilla is soft, maternal in her treatment of Anne. When Anne explodes in response to Rachel Lynde's forthright critique of her appearence, Marilla chides,she scolds, but you never get the feeling that she is genuinely outraged and mortified to her very marrow by this outrageous loss of self control. The whole point of the story is that as much as Anne needs a home, Matthew and Marilla need someone like Anne in their lives. In the books, Marilla gradually softens, unbends and shows Anne that she cares in her own gruff manner. In this adaptation, Marilla is already almost empathetic. Marilla was never meant to be purposefully unkind, but she wasn't as soft as fuzzy as the portrayal here. Second glaring misstep - Matthew. Why, for heavens sake, the scene with the pig? I understand the writers wish to infuse humor, but the book is full of gentle humor. Matthew is laconic, taciturn. He feels deeply, he says little. Richard Farnsworth was able to convey both of these key attributes on screen, demonstrating that it can be done. It was due to his character (taciturn, terrified of girls and women) that he *didn't* ask Anne immediately why she was there instead of a boy. It is equally difficult to understand why the new version of Matthew would *not* immediately ask this. And, since they changed Matthew so dramatically, they changed the circumstances of how Matthew obtained the dress with puffed sleeves, a scene which was one of the comic gems of the book. ("Twenty pounds of brown sugar, indeed!")

This portrayal of Anne herself - in the initial scenes after she finds out that she isn't to stay at Green Gables, she is heartbroken, yet sensible enough to know she shouldn't fall in love with her new surroundings since it's clear that Marilla does not intend to keep her. Yet, n this adaptation, Anne continues to explore Green Gables and its environs, even though she understands she's t be sent back. These actions are so inconsistent with the character that it's truly torture to watch. Anne had gumption - she was sensible, she was a worker. I can't imagine the real Anne shying away from eggs. Nothing in the books indicated that she would behave thus or that she would fob off her milk pail carrying duties on Matthew so that she could go look at scenery.That's a ridiculous liberty. She was dreamy and imaginative, but she was also a hard worker and very smart. So none of this behavior makes sense except to add in "comic relief" and just came off as unconvincingly modern.

Just incredibly disappointing that writers still don't understand that people love a source material because it's actually really good and maybe they should try to make as few changes as possible to the integral personality traits of the characters.

As a last note (and this is rather an unfair comparison), I really miss Hagood Hardy's instrumental genius. The soundtrack to this newest adaptation was passable, but not outstanding. Hardy's sound track for the original miniseries was so evocative and lush, the bland music which accompanied this version doesn't have the same ability to connect the viewer with the story, augmenting the drama on screen like an auditory emotional cues, enhancing the experience subtly, yet indelibly.

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Cute movie, a little different. If you enjoy hallmark films you will enjoy this movie. You cant compare this one to the Original series that is just wonderful. They stick to the book events, emphasis on different things to make this different but it is the story of Anne. Some people were concerned that the movie had a dark turn because it had flashbacks of Anne's life before the Cuthburts. All I can say to this is that is what her life was like and those events are what made Anne who she was. Life sometimes isn't just roses, there are some thorns mixed in. Children should definetly be guarded and protected but this is such a minor thing compared to whats being played on TV all day long. I probably wouldn't let any child under 10 watch it just because a man yelling or breaking dishes in a 5 second scene could scare them. All parents should pre-watch films anyway so they can make that decision.

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Lovely scenery, good casting, but overall disappointing. They tried to cram too much story into too short of a time, and ended up losing most of the charm. It's not awful, you could certainly find worse ways to spend an hour and a half, but... meh.

Anne comes across as kind of a spoiled brat, prissy and unused to hard work, which really misses the plot.

Basically it's the Cliff Notes, or at best the Reader's Digest Condensed version. You've got the basic story, but the heart and charm are lacking.

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I couldn't even stomach 15 minutes of this. The child's freckles are fake and I honestly couldn't get past it. No way is Martin Sheen even remotely what Matthew Cuthburt embodies. I guess since he's a 'big name' they decided he needed to speak more, but Matthew is quiet, listens intently and slowly falls in love with Anne. This show is nowhere near the quality of the other versions of this story.

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I have never written a review before and I am not a critic but this (2016 pbs) version of Anne of Green Gables is a huge disappointment. All the charming, dreamy, poetical, imaginative, romantic imaginations of Anne Girl are simply not here. It is Ann without the "e". No kindred spirit to elevate the soul can be found. I feel the 1985 Sullivan Entertainment version of Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea with Megan Follows truly captures the beauty and charm of the wonderful books of Lucy Maud Montgomery .

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Honestly if this movie is to stand independently then its fine. The writing can use some work and the acting is decent and entertaining. This version of the characters are likable if not rememberable. But once you start looking at this movie in relation to the source material and other adaptations it falls very short of the mark. The movie rushes the character development and relationships that other adaptations and the books take time to cultivate. Many of the characters are wildly different like, Mr.Phillips, who in the book and other adaptations is simply just a horrid teacher with a thing for one of his students while in this movie they try to make him sympathetic withought giving the audience a reason just a lot of shots of him looking sad. Another thing that will really get your goat if you've seen other adaptations is that the most memorable scenes in the series such as Anne climbing the roof or sinking in the boat are cut short or changed so drastically that they you wonder why they were written in t all. Overall if your bored and want to be mad about something or just have some mindless fun this is the movie for you but if your a big fan of the Anne series I suggest looking for something else to entertain you.

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All the acting was great, but the writing was subpar. They tried to cram in all the highlights of the 1985 version starring Megan Follows, but they had half the time. Watch that version -- it's far superior.